


Protect Him?

by Izupie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Black Paladin Keith (Voltron), Fluff, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith discusses his feelings with Red, Lance does the same, M/M, Post Season 3, Red Paladin Lance (Voltron), The Red Lion must be a really good listener
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-17 23:56:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11862336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izupie/pseuds/Izupie
Summary: When you share a bond, a true strong connection, then parting will always be painful - as Keith learns when he finally says his goodbyes to the Red Lion. But knowing who her new pilot is takes a weight off his mind, and he has a favor to ask of her.Meanwhile Lance struggles with his new position in the team until his own heart to heart with Red reveals a little more than his new team leader intended.





	1. I'll see you out there

**Author's Note:**

> Goodbye Red Space Kitty from your fave boy Keith.

“Hey, Red.” Keith placed a gentle hand on one of the Red Lion’s large claws and rubbed the metal surface slowly, still in awe over the scale and magnificence of the mysterious mix of science and magic before him, even after all this time. “It’s been a while since it’s just been you and me, huh.” Keith’s voice was a soft rumble. “Sorry.”

The strange metal under his hands was surprisingly smooth, considering he had seen (and experienced) the amount of hits Red had taken, and he could feel a pleasant warmth radiating from it even through his gloves. He supposed he needed to stop thinking of the Lions as being made of metal now he knew they had been formed from the ore of a comet that could shift between universes. It wasn’t even like that had been a difficult concept to believe in the end, since they had always felt like much more than just the ‘lion shaped robots’ the team had originally believed them to be. Time with the Lions and time as a member of Team Voltron had made Keith open his mind to so much he would never have even considered, or thought possible.... And now he was the leader.

He took a deep breath. 

“I.... don’t know if I can do this, Red.” There was no reply to his statement, and there was no outward change in the Lion at all, but Keith still felt as if she was listening somehow. “I’m not like Shiro. I’m not patient and strategic, or calm under pressure. I don’t feel like the Head of Voltron, even though the Black Lion chose me.” 

Keith looked up into the blank eyes of the Red Lion.

“But... I made a decision - I’m going to try,” his soft voice got stronger, “I’m going to try and be the sort of leader that the team deserves, so that we can pilot the sort of Voltron that the universe deserves.” Keith’s confession was heartfelt, and the truth of his words seemed to vibrate and hum with their own kind of power around the cavernous hangar Red sat in.

“I’m not saying this is forever, I mean, really I’m still kind of hoping that Shiro just needs some time to get over what he went through back there, and the Black Lion will take him back. If that happened though, would you have _me_ back?” Keith resumed his gentle rubbing of one of Red’s large claws. “You’ve got Lance now, so maybe you’ll end up preferring him over me?” He chuckled to himself once. “He’s certainly more entertaining, that’s for sure.”

Keith took a few steps away from Red’s paws, standing straight in front of her so he could look directly into her eyes, though they were still blank. 

“I may not be your Paladin any more Red, but I’m still your friend. I’m there for you, and even though I’m in the Black Lion now, I’ll still look out for you. But I’d like you to do one thing for me.” Keith cleared his throat a little. “Can you look after Lance?” He shifted slightly and ran a hand through his thick hair before continuing. “I care about him. A lot. And I know that I can trust you to keep him safe.” He added softly, “I was actually kind of happy when you chose Lance to be your pilot while I’m with the Black Lion, because if I can’t be your Paladin, then there isn’t anybody else I would rather see with you.”

There was still no indication that the Red Lion had heard any of what he’d said, except a distant kind of familiar warmth in his head. A ‘voice’ he could no longer hear.

Satisfied, Keith turned around and began to leave, his boots clunking on the metal floor of the ship. But he stopped a few paces away, looked up at the ceiling and spoke without turning around. “I love you both, so take care of each other okay. I’ll see you out there Red,” he said with a smile.

He strode out of the hangar. 

Even though he heard a roar echoing strongly through his mind, full of fire and courage, Keith continued forward and didn’t turn back.


	2. We'll protect him. I can do this.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Lance's turn for a heart to heart with the Red Lion, but her version of a 'pep talk' takes a surprising turn when Lance realises she recorded one of Keith's secret conversations with her. Then plays it back to him. Red, no!

The cockpit of the Red Lion looked almost identical to the Blue Lion’s, Lance mused. He wondered if they all looked the same from the inside. Except when the monitor came to life, and the display bathed him in a red light, he could almost believe he was still in Blue. But.... It didn’t really _feel_ the same. The chair creaked a little as he leaned back in it, folding one knee over the other. The whole cockpit smelled a little like Keith he realised - a warm, peppery kind of smell. And there was a background feeling of readiness, eagerness and a need to protect that he could feel burning in the back of his mind, that he knew was the Red Lion herself, that he had never felt from Blue.

 

The Blue Lion was all calmness and reassurance, like the still water on a clear lake, while the Red Lion was something more like a crackling fire; full of a volatile kind of energy that was both warm and unpredictable. Keith had told him once that he had been ejected out into space before Red finally accepted him as her Paladin, and it was something he could believe. Although in fairness, Lance had only piloted her a couple of times now and he could feel her unwavering loyalty towards him every time she powered up. The thought made him smile a little while he leant forward and patted one of the control levers in front of him lovingly.

 

He had been sitting in his room stewing on the change of Lions recently, and had made the decision to do his thinking from inside the Red Lion instead, hoping that maybe it would help their developing partnership. It wasn’t like he was expecting to be able to waltz in and be like ‘Hey Red, how’s it going? So - me and you, huh? What’s up with that? Maybe we should get to know each other better’ but whatever strange magical bond tied them to their Lions could only get stronger if they wanted it to, and that would be helpful in piloting her right? He was also a little sad that he used to sit in Blue and voice his fears and concerns all the time, and he missed that, but since he couldn’t do that anymore, maybe Red would be a good listener too?

 

Lance was sure the warm presence in the back of his mind got a little warmer.

 

“I’m sorry I’m not Keith.” He blurted out suddenly. “I mean,” he began again, leaning back into the chair, “I’m sure you miss him. And... I’m not him. I’m not this super cool guy that can zip you around asteroid fields and junk... I still don’t really get why you chose me.” Lance tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “I don’t know if I can do this, Red.”

 

The console in front of Lance suddenly lit up, the display blazing a red glow over the whole cockpit, and he jumped forward so sharply that he rubbed the muscles in his now sore cricked neck.

 

“Woah - hey - Red, you ok girl?” Lance looked around as if there could be some indication of why the Lion had just powered up on her own, hoping it didn’t mean that there was some kind of trouble. He wasn’t even in his Paladin suit. The hum of whatever powered the Lions was the only response to his question, so Lance calmed down a little, suspecting that meant nobody was in trouble and Red wouldn’t be launching him out into space without warning. He eyed the display suspiciously, still not sure she wasn’t going to pilot herself with him inside. He already knew the Red Lion could be unpredictable, but he just wasn’t used to it after being with Blue for so long; she was so easy-going and never did any of the crazy things he’d heard Keith tell him about - like powering up on her own to save him multiple times. Maybe this was her response to him? Maybe she was _agreeing_ with him?

 

Lance smoothed down his jacket and folded his hands behind his head in an act of nonchalance to cover his initial surprise. Didn’t want Red thinking he was jumpy. “Yeah yeah, you got me. Good trick. But you can only catch me off guard like that once, I -”

 

“I.... don’t know if I can do this, Red.” Keith’s breathy rumble was unmistakable, though it sounded a little tinny. Lance leaped forward so hard in his chair that the crick in his neck came back in full force and he winced at the throb of pain.

 

“What the -! Keith? Was that Keith?” Lance exclaimed, only now noticing the long flat line on the main display at the front of the cockpit. It danced into a series of fluctuating zig-zags as Keith’s recorded voice played out of the speakers.

 

“I’m not like Shiro. I’m not patient and strategic, or calm under pressure. I don’t feel like the Head of Voltron, even though the Black Lion chose me.” Keith sounded sad, maybe even a little tired, even just through a recording. Lance gaped as the line returned to its motionless state, feeling his chest tighten at hearing Keith say those kinds of things. It wasn’t the sort of thing he admitted to, and Lance realised he hadn’t even believed Keith could feel that way at all. He was stubborn and prideful so when he spoke like this it was impossible not to hear the sincerity and hurt in his voice. It wasn’t too long ago that Lance had gone to him to give up his place on the Team and he had comforted him in the way that only Keith could. But to hear him speak like this.... So doubtful and unsure... It was how Lance himself felt.

 

“You recorded Keith?” He asked the Lion quickly. “Does he know you recorded him?” It wasn’t really like Lance had expected an answer, but the warmth at the back of his mind built up into a burst of intense but brief pressure. “Um, ow.” The hand that had been rubbing the sore muscles in the back of his neck moved up to his head while he pouted in betrayal, and he got the distinct feeling that had been Red’s ‘Of course he didn’t know, just listen’.

 

“But... I made a decision - I’m going to try... I’m going to try and be the sort of leader that the team deserves, so that we can pilot the sort of Voltron that the universe deserves.” Lance could feel the conviction in his words, and wanted desperately to tell him right there and then that he had the whole team behind him. They would follow him anywhere. Lance would follow him anywhere.

 

“I’m not saying this is forever,” Keith’s voice softened again while the sound bar danced, “I mean, really I’m still kind of hoping that Shiro just needs some time to get over what he went through back there, and the Black Lion will take him back. If that happened though, would you have _me_ back?”

 

Lance let the pouty expression fade from his face, and let his hands relax into his lap. This felt a little wrong really. Like he was invading Keith’s privacy. Which he kind of was. Though to be fair, it was all the Red Lion, Lance was just doing as he was told and listening.

 

She really was unpredictable.

 

There was a brief pause before Keith spoke again.  “You’ve got Lance now, so maybe you’ll end up preferring him over me?” Lance tried to pretend that Keith’s light chuckle didn’t run a warm shiver through him and make his stomach feel like he’d just swallowed half a dozen butterflies. “He’s certainly more entertaining, that’s for sure.”

 

Lance didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or cry; feelings that he’d been able to push far far down into himself were filling his chest at the tenderness in his leader’s voice. And how was it that Keith was echoing the exact same sentiments he had been feeling himself?

 

“I may not be your Paladin any more Red, but I’m still your friend. I’m there for you, and even though I’m in the Black Lion now, I’ll still look out for you. But I’d like you to do one thing for me.” Keith cleared his throat, like he was nervous, and Lance leaned forward eagerly to catch what he was going to say next, despite the speaker being plenty loud enough. “Can you look after Lance?”

 

“What!” Lance threw his hands up into the air, feeling the bubble of affection in his chest burst. “Oh, he thinks I need a babysitter now? He thinks I need you to, what, look after-”

 

“I care about him. A lot. And I know that I can trust you to keep him safe.”

 

“-me... ?” Lance finished lamely as his arms came down slowly.

 

Keith added in a soft voice, “I was actually kind of happy when you chose Lance to be your pilot while I’m with the Black Lion, because if I can’t be your Paladin, then there isn’t anybody else I would rather see with you.”

 

Lance blinked a few times, trying to process what he’d just heard and trying not to leap to the conclusions his racing mind was dragging him to. Of course he cared about him. They were team mates. Keith was the leader. That meant there was a degree of caring involved. Even if Keith had specifically said he cared about him _a lot_ that didn’t mean like, in a _special a lot_ kind of way. Not like the way Lance had been feeling for such a long time through all those tender glances and soft smiles.

 

Did it?

 

As if the Red Lion had heard his doubtful thoughts, still trying to protect him from getting hurt, Keith’s voice played once more through the speaker, and Lance could practically hear the smile through his words, “I love you both, so take care of each other okay. I’ll see you out there Red.”

 

His pounding heart was embarrassing enough, but Keith hadn’t even finished speaking before Lance realised he was crying. He wasn’t sure whether it was the release of emotions he’d bottled up and pushed down for far too long, or just actual happiness.

 

‘I love you both’, he had said.

 

‘ _I love you both’._

How was he even supposed to move forward with these kinds of feelings now? There was no way in hell he could shove them back down after he’d heard all that. It’s not like he could pretend he hadn’t heard any of it, Lance thought, furiously wiping his eyes with his jacket sleeve.

 

“Well what was that, huh? What are you trying to do to me!” Lance laughed, though it was a sound full of a mixture of elation and nerves and affection. He wiped his eyes again and let out a long breath. “You are a troublemaker aren’t you. He doesn’t even know that I know all this now, but I do... Argh,” he ruffled his hair furiously with both hands in an outward show of his internal screaming, then jumped to his feet, “if that’s.... If that’s how he really feels - if that wasn’t some flippant throwaway Keith line - then... I’m happy. Okay? I am happy to keep pushing on and trying hard for his sake. If he feels the same way I do then I can work on finding my place on the team to support him. He’s going to try and be our real leader, and I will try to be his real right hand man.”

 

The Red Lion roared, though Lance wasn’t sure if the sound was just inside his head or not, but he took it as agreement. It seemed like it _had_ been her way of trying to cheer him up, and it had been like an emotional kick up the ass; stop moping, stop doubting, if Keith could do this through all of his insecurities then so could he. If Keith could come to terms with, and admit his feelings out loud... then so could he.

 

“Then let’s do this together, Red! For the Keith we love - let’s be Voltron’s right hand, and keep him safe. We’ll protect him. I can do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap for this one! I really loved writing this! Although it's now 1.29am and I need to evaluate my life choices.  
> Hope you enjoyed it~


End file.
